


Darling, Please Don't Be Alarmed

by colazitron



Series: Fic Advent 2013 [5]
Category: Ed Sheeran (Musician), One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-06
Updated: 2013-12-06
Packaged: 2018-01-03 20:45:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1072870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Ed goes to the NYC, not the LA premiere of Desolation of Smaug and brings an unexpected date.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Darling, Please Don't Be Alarmed

Harry's actually almost out the door when his phone beeps with a text from Ed from the other side of the Atlantic. He spares a moment to marvel at how normal it is to him to think of his friends as on entirely different continents instead of just a bike ride away and then slides his thumb over the screen to unlock the phone and type out a quick reply.

 

_Skype? You free?_

_Yeah. Just a mo._

Ed only ever really _asks_ to see Harry on skype when he's got something serious to talk about. Career stuff he's unsure about. Breakups. Being really, terribly homesick. So no one can blame Harry for the pool of dread settling in his gut. He really, really hopes it's not still emotional backlash from the latest of Ed's short-lived flings.

 

"Were you going out or did you dress up for me?" Ed asks through the slightly tinny connection and the not quite HD picture once Harry settles in on his bed, gesturing at the shirt that Harry's wearing. It is, admittedly, sheer. So what.

 

"I always get dressed up for you, what are you talking about," he says and Ed laughs.

 

"No, but, if you were going out, I don't wanna--"

 

"Shush. I can go later," Harry says. "Now, what troubles you?"

 

Ed looks away for a moment and bites his lip. When he does speak again he's mumbling like he does when he's nervous and trying to hide his words.

 

"You're in New York soon for SNL, right?"

 

"Yeah, Wednesday. Why, will you be around?"

 

"Well. See. I did this thing for this movie, I don't know if you heard..." Ed says, teasing smile on his lips not as radiant as usual. (Obviously Harry has heard. Ed only geeked out about it to him for a solid two hours when he first got the offer.) Harry raises an eyebrow for him to go on. The dread in his stomach hasn't fully vanished yet, because Ed's just being really... _shifty._

 

"The thing is... it premiers in LA on Monday but it's in NYC on Tuesday and they want to know which one I want to go to."

 

"Okay?" Harry says.

 

"Um. I can bring someone. And. Like. ... would you want to go to the New York one with me?" Ed asks. Harry furrows his brow.

 

"Wouldn't you rather bring a date?" he asks. Ed laughs uneasily and messes with his hair for a moment.

 

"I would be," he says and stops Harry's heartbeat with three little words. "Um. That's the other thing. I'm kind of in love with you."

 

"Oh," Harry says, dumbly. He feels like his mind is racing, but also like there's not one thought he can really grasp and get a look at.

 

"Yeah," Ed says, "just..." and shrugs. Harry feels like flailing around in confusion and shaking Ed and demanding explanations. And a drink. He feels like a drink. He can't pretend he hasn't entertained the notion once or twice, but those were idle it's-late-at-night-and-early-in-the-morning thoughts. Weed had usually been involved. Or jetlag. Ed and he have had this conversation before. _Multiple times_. They decided there wasn't anything between them. Ed can't just--

 

Harry makes a split second decision and feels his whole body light up with adrenaline.

 

"Yeah, okay. I can make it, I think."

 

"What, really?" Ed asks, looking like he expected this to go very differently.

 

"Yeah. I don't come cheap though. If we're walking a carpet, you had better wear a suit," he says. He's joking, but Ed's nodding like he'd reach up and pluck the moon from the sky if Harry asked. It's more than just a bit overwhelming.

 

"Sure. Okay. Do you want to just. Um. Like. Should you just stay at my hotel? With me?"

 

_In for a penny, in for a pound._

 

"Mighty forward of you, Mr. Sheeran," Harry says and watches Ed flush bright red before laughing. The dread in his stomach has turned to helium and is making him lose touch with the ground. "Yeah, sure. 'be easier."

 

"Right. I'll, um, see you Tuesday then."

 

"Yeah."

 

"Okay. Then. Um. Have fun tonight."

 

Right. Harry had meant to go out.

 

"Thanks."

 

There's a bit of silence where they both stare at their respective screens a little vacantly, before they catch each other at it and laugh.

 

"Bye then," Ed says with a smile, and there's more of his usual warmth in his voice now.

 

"See you soon," Harry says. When the screen goes black as the call ends he can see his own smile for a moment before he buries it in his hands and tries to catch up with what just happened. He calls his team and tells them of his change of plans on autopilot. No one bats even just an eyelash.

 

It's when the booking confirmation of his flight ticket comes in his email that he freaks out and calls Louis (who laughs at him for at least ten minutes before calming him down).

 

"One date doesn't make a relationship, babe. Just test the waters." Harry's pretty sure he just copied that off the saying about the sparrows and summer. He does have a point though.

 

"Yeah. I just. D'you think this is smart?"

 

"Love rarely is, mate."

 

Sometimes Louis purposely makes himself sound pseudo-wise. It's always a problem when he says something that's actually smart in that tone of voice. Harry's never sure where he's standing then. Louis sighs.

 

"You'll be fine, H. You love that boy, don't you? All dating aside. Like you'd let a little awkwardness ruin that."

 

That's true, at least. Harry's a champion at wading through awkwardness.

 

"Yeah. Thanks."

 

Louis hums and Harry sighs into the sudden silence.

 

"So how much of his next record is about you, you reckon?" Louis asks, cheek back in his voice. Harry hangs up. By the time Harry makes it to New York City, he's called Louis another fifteen times. By the last one all he does is tell Harry to take a shot and stop thinking so much before he hangs up.

 

(Harry's highlights of the night are as follows:

\- meeting Martin Freeman

\- getting a selfie with Benedict Cumberbatch and tagging his sister in the tweet, fully expecting texts entirely of expletives by the morning

\- the actual film

\- Ed's endearingly large suit and glasses

\- when Ed tells a reporter that "he did" when she asks him why he didn't bring a date even though she laughs and obviously thinks he's joking

\- when Ed takes his hand once the theatre falls dark

\- when Ed kisses him goodnight like he's unsure if Harry'll allow it

\- when he realises this is right where he wants to be.)

 

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Still taking prompts. :D [x](http://fille-lioncelle.tumblr.com/post/68601518759/fic-advent-2013)


End file.
